On-demand designated delivery locator

Abstract

Delivery area guidance may be provided to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) delivering a package to a customer. For example, a UAV may be programmed to fly to a delivery area. When the UAV approaches the delivery area, the UAV may send a signal that it has a package for the customer. A delivery area guidance (DAG) device associated with the customer may receive the signal and project a visible landing marker to guide the UAV to a designated delivery location. The DAG device may monitor motion near the designated delivery location, indicate existence of obstacles, and/or notify inhabitance of the approach of the UAV and/or receipt of the package.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) guidance apparatus comprising:
 a transceiver; 
 a laser; 
 one or more processors; and 
 one or more memories storing instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform acts comprising: 
 determining that a UAV carrying a package is proximate to a delivery area; 
 projecting, via the laser, a delivery marker at a designated delivery location within the delivery area; and 
 transmitting, via the transceiver, a signal to a remote computing device to indicate an arrival of the package. 
 
     
     
       2. The UAV guidance apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a speaker, the acts further comprising:
 emitting, via the speaker, a warning tone to indicate an approach of the UAV toward the designated delivery location. 
 
     
     
       3. The UAV guidance apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device or a radio detection and ranging (RADAR) device, the acts further comprising:
 determining, based at least in part on data from the at least one of the LIDAR device or the RADAR device, that an obstacle is proximate to an approach path of the UAV to the designated delivery area; and 
 transmitting, via the transceiver, a warning signal to the UAV to avoid the obstacle. 
 
     
     
       4. The UAV guidance apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a light source, the acts further comprising:
 determining that a time associated with the arrival is between a first time associated with sunset and a second time associated with sunrise; and 
 responsive to determining that the UAV is proximate to the delivery area, projecting, via the light source, a light in the delivery area, wherein the light is configured to provide a warning of the UAV approaching the designated delivery location. 
 
     
     
       5. The UAV guidance apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the delivery marker comprises an encoded signal. 
     
     
       6. The UAV guidance apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a weather sensor, the acts further comprising:
 detecting a wind speed and a wind direction; 
 sending, via the transceiver and to the UAV, a weather signal to indicate the wind speed and wind direction. 
 
     
     
       7. A method, comprising:
 determining, by a device, that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying a package is proximate to a delivery area; 
 based at least in part on determining that the UAV is proximate to the delivery area, projecting, via a light source of a delivery area guidance device, a marker onto a surface to designate a delivery location located within the delivery area; 
 verifying a delivery of the package at the delivery location; and 
 transmitting, via a transceiver of the device, a signal to a remote device to indicate the delivery of the package. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 determining that a time associated with the delivery of the package is between a first time associated with sunset and a second time associated with sunrise; and 
 responsive to determining that the UAV is proximate to the delivery area, projecting, via the light source of the delivery area guidance device, a light in the delivery area, wherein the light is configured to provide a warning of the UAV approaching the delivery location. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 determining that an obstacle is proximate to at least one of the delivery location or an approach path to the delivery location; and 
 projecting, via the light source of the delivery area guidance device, an obstacle marker designating the obstacle for the UAV to avoid. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 detecting, by a motion sensor of the delivery area guidance device, motion proximate to the delivery location; and 
 responsive to detecting the motion, emitting, via a speaker of the delivery area guidance device, a warning tone to indicate an approach of the UAV toward the delivery location. 
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 7 , prior to verifying the delivery of the package at the delivery location, the method further comprising:
 detecting, by a motion sensor of the device, motion proximate to the delivery location; 
 responsive to detecting the motion, emitting, via the transceiver of the device and to the UAV, a warning signal to indicate that the delivery location is not clear for the delivery of the package 
 determining an absence of motion proximate to the delivery location for a pre-determined amount of time; and 
 transmitting, via the transceiver of the device and to the UAV, a delivery signal to indicate that the delivery location is clear for the delivery of the package. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 identifying the package for delivery; and 
 encoding the delivery marker based on an identification of the package. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 detecting, by a weather sensor of the delivery area guidance device, a wind speed and a wind direction; and 
 sending, via the transceiver of the delivery area guidance device and to the UAV, a weather signal to indicate the wind speed and wind direction. 
 
     
     
       14. A system, comprising:
 one or more processors; and 
 memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory including computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts comprising: 
 determining that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrying a package is proximate to a delivery area; 
 projecting a delivery marker at a delivery location within the delivery area; and 
 transmitting, to a remote computing device, a signal to indicate arrival of the package. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , the acts further comprising:
 monitoring a battery power associated with a light source for projecting the delivery marker; 
 determining that the battery power is below a threshold battery power; and 
 sending a low power message to the remote computing device to indicate that power available is low. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , the acts further comprising:
 determining that a delivery of a second package is scheduled within a period of time; and 
 sending, to the remote computing device, an indication of the delivery of the second package concurrently with the low power message. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 14 , the acts further comprising:
 determining an approach path of the UAV to the designated delivery location; 
 determining that an obstacle is proximate to the approach path of the UAV; and 
 projecting, via a laser of a delivery area guidance device, an obstacle marker designating the obstacle for the UAV to avoid. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 14 , the acts further comprising:
 detecting a wind speed and a wind direction; 
 sending, via a transceiver of a delivery area guidance device and to the UAV, a weather signal to indicate the wind speed and wind direction; and 
 determining an approach path of the UAV based at least in part on the wind speed and the wind direction. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 14 , the acts further comprising:
 detecting motion proximate to the designated delivery location; and 
 responsive to detecting the motion, emitting a warning tone to indicate an arrival of the UAV. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 14 , the acts further comprising:
 identifying the package for delivery; and 
 encoding the delivery marker based on an identification of the package for delivery.